Windshield wiper



WINDSHIELD -Wrlnn Albert E. Barnweu, Buna10,`N.y

)replication Novemberzz, 1932, serial No. 643,885

icla'inis.y (01.154255)` j This invention relates to improvements inwindshield` wipers oi-thetypegemployed on automobiles. i, `Oneof` itsobjects isthe provision ofra Windwiper having means for holding thewiperblwde outlet contact with the windshield when not inuse` andthereby prevent` `the wiper-blade, which is usually made of rubber, frombending over Ior curling-at the edge and impairing the eni- 4ciencyofthewiperi i f :Another object of the invention isto provide a windshieldfWiper having .simple and` reliable means forautomaticallyshifting thewiper-blade laterallyinto and out of wipingecontactwith the windshield,such means being operable to bring wiper into engagement with thewindshield when the wipermechanism Vis rendered operative and beingreleased `from wiping contact-with the windshield when the fwipingmechanism 4is ren-v dered inoperative. l f

. Other -features ofthe invention reside `inthe construction and4arrangementl of parts hereinafter described and` particularly pointedlout in the appended claims.l V

11n` the .accompanying --drawingsz-Fig-ure 1 is a Lfront .elevation .ofa. windshield wiper embody.- ing my invention., Figurez is an. enlargedrear elevation thereof. Figure 3 isan enlarged transverse verticalsection taken `substantially in the plane .of line 33 Figure ,1. Figure4 is an en- Alargledfrlont view, partlyin section, of .the wiper motoruni-t, 4showing the position of the parts in their normal `operatingposition. Figure 5 is a. (similar view .showing the position .of theparts' when the wiper-.blade .is in its inoperative position out ofcontact Withrthe .windshieldFigure -6 is 'an Venlarged side .elevation`of thewiper showing the vsame position at .the 4outside -of theAWindshield. .Figure 7 is a front view of a wiper-mech.- anism showing aslightly modified form Yof the invention. Figure 8 is Aan enlarged,fragmentary, transverse section taken substantially on line 8-.8,.Figure7.. c. "c Similar .charactersiof 'reference indicatecorresponding .parts throughoutgthe several views. Referring now ,toFigures 1 5, inclusive, `.Hl inl- `dlcates the' windshield,l l.lVthecasing .of a duidpressure motor type A.of Lcleaner such as l arefnowcommonly used Aon motor vehicles, and l2 the wiper-'blade which isoperated .by lthe duid apressure motor to .oscillate the `same over theWindshield, While the .operatingmechanism of the wiper which is rhousedwithin the Veasing l-l ymay :be of any suitable ,and'vvelllrnownconstruction, `that shownin the drawings, by way .of example,

consists of-a` piston chamber I3 formed in the easing!! and closed;Y atitstop side by a cover M.;` Operable within this chamber fortransmitting motion to the wiper-blade, iSa piston or vane l5 mounted ona rock shaft Iisuitably journaledin the casing I-I, and as hereinafterdescribed, so mounted as t0 be permitted a limited movement axially orrin the direction of' its length.;

The oscillation of the piston may plished in any Vdnnroved'-manner. asby the suce tion derived from the intake Vinaniold' o f the en# gine ofthe automobile, and for this purpose I have .shownpaconduit l] connectedat one end to the engine and at-itsother end to :asuctionlnort orpassage I8 which is in yalved communication with the piston 1chamber3`and in Whichis linter- P xxi l be accomposed a suction control valve`|9 forV gonerning the now of suction pressure tothe chamber-.andcont-roling the starting and stopping:- off'the wiper-blade l2; rThesuction passage isi in indifrcct eommunicating relation' `at' its inner`Vend :with the pis-ton chamber 1,3 through pQrtsfZ and .2:I leeated'inthe wall-ofthe casing Il andai; .opposite isides of the axis -of -theoperatingqshaft n.5, whereby the influence of suction acts alter-`'nat-elven opposite sides :of thepsgton -to oscillate thefwiperebl-adeover the windshield. For bringing the .opposite sides of thepistonlunderf Ythe innuenee of suction` at ithe proper time; a. discj-`likeval-ve ,22 is loosely `mounted on the shaft for Aoscillationrelative thereto and'gis provided on=its inner Iface with a bridgingrecess-,231er alter;- nately connecting the suction passage `|18 withtherespective ports lila-ndV 21. This valve'is provided `at its lower endwith spaced -trip fingers 24 with which a trip Ilever 2.5 is adapted` toalter.- natelyfengage for rocking thevalve to its respective positionsto swing ythe *wi-per nrst in lone .direction and then the'other. The'trip -leveris .actuated .at a predetermined time in "the oscillatingstroke of :the wiper by .a rocker element V26 which is applied'to theshaft I6 tovrock there'- .with and -which hasl circumferentallyi-spaced.shoulders 21 thereon for engagementwi'th'the trip lever to Yswing :itinlone vclirectiornor the" other and :accordingly kcontrol the shifting.of the I`valve 22 :to .one :position or theV other. Forthepurpose{ofertan-ting a `,quick or snap action `oti'lis valve .to :itsrespective positions; :a spring' y28 vlis provided which `comesintoplay-adjacent to the V.ends of the operating strokesofthe piston, `oneLend 0f the spring being connected lto the' trip ,lever Zi'while fits'other end is connectedjto the rocker element 26. V

nalveaernatmgfmeker dement 2s fisso mounted on the shaft I6 that thevalve 22 is alternately shifted to effect a normal operating travel ofthe Wiper-blade I2 in an arcuate path over the windshield, provisionbeing made, hovvever,

for an additional or tail-end movement of the wiper-blade in onedirection when the control valve I9 is moved to its off position. Whenthis valve is shut off, the suction from the engine thereupon actsthrough a valve-controlled port 29 opening` into' a suction cup 30 andextending into the chamber|3 to bring the piston I4 from the positionshown by full lines in Figure 4, which depicts the end of the normaloperating stroke of the Wiper in one direction, to the position shown bydotted lines in said figure and by full lines in Figure 5. During thisiinal or tail-v Windshield so that itis free from contact therewith whennot in operation to prevent the bending or curling over of the bladeedge and impairing the efficiency of thewwiper. When the control valveI9 is moved to its on position, the additional stroke in the reverse idirection is utilized to eifect the return of the Wiper-blade intooperative engagement with the Windshield. VThe preferred means foraccomplishing these ends are constructed as follows?- The operatingshaft I6 is so mounted as to have a'limited'axial movement laterally ofthe -casing I I and the Wiper-blade is suspended V:from a rod 3|pivotally connected at 32 to the shaft, a spring-tensioned member-33tends to normally urge the Wiper-blade into yielding engagementwith thewindshield. Intermediate its ends, the wiper-carrying rod 3l hasvafulcrum 'bearing or foot 34 which is adapted to bear against theWindshield, in the manner shown in 'Figure Y3, and which constitutes afulcrum point about which the rod maybe swung laterally to =bring theWiper-blade I2 into and out of engagement with the Windshield. Thelateral swinging of the wiper-'carrying rod about its fulcrum 34 isleffected by ani axialmovement imparted to the operating Vshaft I6during the final and initial /stroke'of the Wiper when the control valveI9 is turned off and on, respectively. The preferred V'means forimparting such axial movement to the shaft, to tilt the Wiper into andout of engagement with thewindshield consists of a cam sur- .'face-35associated With/the casing II and`with `which V'a radial pin fadapted toengage. cam surface is composed of two diametrically op- -positesegmental sections which are spaced at 36 carried by the shaft is Asshown' in Figure 2, this opposite sides of the shaft-axis sojthat in the.normal operation of the wiper, 'the shaft-pin 36 does not encounter thecam fencounters such cam surface during the hereto- ,fore referred toinitial or tail-end stroke of the `wiper, at which time the engagementof the pin -with rthecam'surface causesv the shaft to move ,y in the`case of the' tail-endstroke of the Wiper,

surface, but only in a direction to tilt the Wiper-blade avvay fromthewindshield. The-spring tensioned member 33 a cleaner element at itsyment with a Windshield to be cleaned and having associated With theWiper-carrying rod has a tendency to urge the shaft I6 in a forwarddirection, that is, from the dotted line to the full line position shownin Figure 3. When the tail-end stroke is completed, after the controlvalve I9 is shut off, the Wiper-blade is automatically moved away fromthe Windshield through the engagement of the respective elements 35 and36, and the parts are held in such position by the suction actingthrough the suction cup v{itl-on the piston I5, as seen in Figure 5. Assoon as the control valve is moved to a position to render the Wiperoperative, the tensioned member 33 acts to move the shaftforwardly Withthe pin 36 riding dovvn` the cam surface 35, which action results in theblade-carrying arm 3| being tilted about its bearing fulcrum 34 to bringthe Wiper against the Windshield.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6, the actuatingmotor of the Wiper is shown appliedY tothe outside of the Windshieldinstead of on the insidethereof, as shown -in Figure 3.y Y Y '1Referring Vnow to Figures 7 and 8, Where the invention is shown inconnection with a Wiper which isl link-connected to the motor unit, thenumeral 3'I indicatesy the motor unit, 38 the operating shaft thereofhaving a crank arm 39 thereon connected by a link 40 with a swingingWiper-blade 4I mountedon a rock-shaft 42 journaled in' a sleeve-bearing43 fitted in the Windshield frame 44. For the purpose of obtaining atilting of the Wiper-blade into and out of engagement With thewindshield when the motor unit is turned on and off, respectively, Iprovide the bearing sleeve 43 with a cam surface 45 and the rock-shaft42 with a cross pin 46 arranged to engage -such cam surface in a mannersimilar to that described in the previous construction.

I claim as my inventionz- A 1.In a Windshield cleaner, a Wiper-carryingelement having a fulcrum bearing intermediate its ends forcontact With aWindshield to permit of a rocking movement thereof toward and from theWindshield, a laterally-shiftable support movable in a plane atsubstantially right angles to the windshield and connected to saidWiper-carrying element atV one side'of its fulcrum, means for actuatingsaid element in a normal oscillatory stroke over the Windshield, acontrol member for said actuating means, means operatively connectingsaid control member with the actuating means, means for imparting anadditional movement to the wiper-carrying element at one end of itsstroke when said control member is moved to its on andmoff positions,and means for shifting said support in ysaid lateral direction duringthe additional movement imparted to the Wiper-carrying elementl to rockthe latter toward and from the Windshield.

2. In a'vvindshield cleaner, a bearing member, an oscillating Wipershaft journaled therein for limited axial displacement, a Wiper armhaving lower end for engagea pivotal connection at its upper end to saidshaft and a laterally-extending fulcrum bearing inter- Amediate its endsin contact with the Windshield, the axis of said pivotal connectionbeing at substantially right angles to the shaft-axis, means forimparting an additional movement to the Wiper shaft at the beginning andending of its starting and stopping strokes, and complementary meansapplied to said bearing member and' said yshaft for governing thelateral displacement of the `shaft during the additional movementimparted thereto and controlling the swinging of the wiper arm about'itsfulcrum bearing to bring the cleaner element into and out of. engagementwith the windshield. y

3. A cleaner for windshields, comprising a combined, oscillatory andaxially movable shaft, a

wiper arm pivotally connected at its upper end to said shaft to rock ina plane at substantially right angles to a Windshield, said arm having awiping blade at its lower'en-d and a fulcrum bearing intermediate itsends arranged for contact with the windshield, means for oscillatingsaid shaft to move the wiper arm and its blade over the windshield, andmeans for moving said shaft axially in one direction or the other forrocking the'wiper arm about its fulcrum bearing to bring the wipingblade into and outvof wiping engagement with the windshield.

4. A windshield cleaner, comprising an oscillatory Wiper-carryingelement tiltable laterally into and out of wiping engagement with awindshield to be cleaned, said wiper-carrying element including afulcrum bearing intermediate its ends for contact with the Windshield,means for actuating `said element to normally travel over apredetermined path and to travel beyond such path at one end of itsmovement at the beginning and ending strokes of the wiper element, acontrol member movable to on and "o1ff positions for governing therespective strokes imparted to the wiper-carrying element by saidactuating means, and automatic means operable during the beginning andending strokes of said wiper-carrying element to tilt the same about itsfulcrum bearing into and out of engagement with the windshield.

. ALBERT E. BARNWELL.

